IBKR GlobalTrader App Review

Interactive Brokers has low trading and non-trading fees. IBKR GlobalTrader charges zero commission for US customers when trading US stocks. There is no inactivity or account fee.

Commissions

Just like most US brokers, IBKR GlobalTrader provides zero commission for US clients when trading US stocks. Non-US clients can trade US stocks with a small commission.

 *Spot crypto trading is provided through Paxos. This feature is available for clients of Interactive Brokers LLC.

Nevertheless, there is no such thing as a free lunch. When you trade commission-free stocks, most brokers earn revenue from payment for order flow. As a result, you get worse execution quality and a smaller price improvement than if you would use a broker that doesn’t earn revenue from payment for order flow, e.g. Fidelity or Vanguard. 

Interactive Brokers also earns revenue from payment for order flow when customers trade commission-free stocks. If this is an important factor for you, you can open an IBKR Pro account, which charges a small commission, but in exchange provides high-quality execution.

Other fees

Other fees are also favorable at IBKR GlobalTrader. For example, the first wire withdrawal each month is free of charge, while most brokers usually charge between $30-50 for each wire withdrawal.

The IBKR GlobalTrader app is user-friendly and well-designed. We also liked the search functions and wide range of research tools available. On the other hand, we were unable to find price alerts.

IBKR GlobalTrader is available both for iOS and Android devices. However, there might be operating system versions that are not supported, e.g. we couldn't install the app to iOS 12.5. In this review, we tested it on Android.

IBKR GlobalTrader is available in the following languages:

Look and feel

IBKR GlobalTrader is a user-friendly and well-designed mobile trading app. You'll find all relevant features easily. 

Login and security

You can use a two-step login, which is safer than a simple login. Furthermore, if your device supports such features, you can also use biometric authentication for more convenience.

Search functions

The search function works well. You can just start typing the asset name and receive relevant search results. 

We also liked that you can select pre-categorized sectors, such as energy or financials.

Placing orders

You can use the following basic order types:

• Market
• Limit
• Stop

If you are not familiar with the basic order types, read this overview.

You can also use the following order time limits:

• Day
• Good 'Til Canceled

Swap stocks

The swap feature allows you to swap a certain stock for another stock, i.e. sell your existing stocks and use the money to buy new stocks. This feature works between stocks that are denominated in the same currency.

EventTrader

The IBKR EventTrader offers a new and simple way for investors to trade futures. It allows investors to use event contracts to trade their opinion on yes-or-no questions in key markets, thus gaining exposure to key futures markets in smaller-sized contracts with less upfront commitment and risk limited to the amount of the trade.  The commission is $0.10 per event contract. 

Research tools

There are multiple great research tools on the IBKR Global Trader app. For example, you can find analyst ratings, news, and basic research tools when clicking on an asset. 

When you explore stocks, you can also find the top movers, top ESG companies, and upcoming IPOs.

The Options Wizard helps investors create their own combination strategies by responding to a few simple questions and selecting options strategies based on their preferences and market expectations. The Options Chain provides more independent investors with a way to choose a single option or build a strategy leg-by-leg from a streamlined view.

However, we couldn't find any option to set up price alerts for assets.

IBKR GlobalTrader gives access to stocks/ETFs, options, and crypto.

*Spot crypto is available for clients of Interactive Brokers LLC

Stocks and ETFs

Interactive Brokers grants you access to a wide range of stock markets. This includes major stock exchanges like the NASDAQ, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE), as well as minor ones such as the Warsaw Stock Exchange or Mexican markets.

You can also buy and sell fractional shares of a stock, which allows you to invest small amounts and still diversify your portfolio. Fractional shares are available for US and European stocks.

Besides stocks, you can also trade more than 13,000 ETFs at IB. This is a generous selection compared to other competitors.

Crypto

Clients of Interactive Brokers LLC can trade spot crypto, provided by Paxos. Only a few spot cryptos are available:

• Bitcoin
• Bitcoin Cash
• Ethereum
• Litecoin

Options

You can trade options on 30+ market centers, which include the most important US exchanges.

Other products

To find out more about other available products at Interactive Brokers, read the relevant chapter of our full IB review.

There is no minimum deposit and clients are accepted from all over the world. On the other hand, account opening can be a bit difficult as you have to go through many steps, and verification takes a few days. 

Customers from all over the world can open an account at IBKR GlobalTrader. For the full list, see this section of our IB review.

It's also great that no minimum deposit is required.

Account opening process

If you already have an Interactive Brokers account, you can easily use the IBKR GlobalTrader app just by logging in to the app. 

If you're new to Interactive Brokers, you can open an account by going through the following steps:

1. Download the app.
2. Add your email address, user ID, password, and country of residence.
3. Confirm your email address, after which you can start using the IBKR GlobalTrader app in a trial version.
4. Log in to the app and click on 'Finish application'.
5. Provide your personal information, like name and date of birth.
6. Add financial information, like net worth and liquid net worth.
7. Confirm your tax residency and identification data.
8. Review and sign the agreements.

At the end, you have to verify your identity and residency by going through the following steps:

• Verify your identity with a selfie photo.
• Upload a verification of identity: passport, national ID, or driver's license.
• Upload a verification of residency: bank statement, utility bill, driver's license, credit card statement, or other document.

If you would like to learn more about Interactive Brokers , check the following links:

Fees

Understand the pricing of stocks, ETFs, options, etc. in detail.

Safety

Check which financial authorities regulate Interactive Brokers and what protection you could get.

Deposit and withdrawal

Learn what deposit and withdrawal methods you can use and what they cost.

Trading platform & research

Interactive Brokers has other platforms and research tools you can use: Client Portal, IBKR Mobile, TWS, etc. Read about the usability and features of these platforms.

Customer support & education

Understand what customer support channels and educational materials are available.

Visit Interactive Brokers